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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Photo Essay: Flying High at Skull Canyon

When I got to Skull Canyon - in Riverside County's Corona, an hour an a half drive from LA's Westside in late morning traffic - they asked me if I'd ever gone ziplining before. I rattled off Catalina, Wrightwood, Bootleg Canyon, and they looked at me and said, "You should be doing the Extreme Course."

But Skull Canyon itself was new to me, and I wanted to try the Original Course before I got to...advanced. After all, with an imposing name and some scary warnings on their website, I wasn't sure I was actually ready to go to the extreme. With my vertigo, I can be a scaredy fraidy cat plenty of times.

The equipment at Skull Canyon was easy enough - a simple trolley, no handlebars or hand brakes...

...and the Original Course is designed to be easy enough for kids and seniors alike.

No matter how many times I go ziplining, I always get a little afraid to take a running leap off that first cliff.

I always seem to be flying into the Great Unknown.

But from my first crash landing at the next platform - my landings always seem to crash - my anxiety settles, and I just enjoy the flight.

Skull Canyon uses a patented counterweight system to brake you rather than using hand brakes or blocks at the end. What look like flattened out coffee cans at the end of the zipline don't actually do much to stop you.

Because the Original Course is easier and requires less participation from those who fly, you don't have to hold onto your lanyard strap, freeing your hands to take photos during flight...

...zooming into the crash...

...which you will successfully survive pretty much regardless of what you do.

There are six total runs, giving you plenty of opportunity to try various tricks, choreography, or, in my case...

...take an entire run of selfies.

Since I did find the Original Course easy, I opted to add on one more flight for the day: the final run of the Extreme Course, the "Speed Run," a tandem (side by side) zipline 1600 feet in length.

We had to change out our trolleys and lanyards for this one, and use handlebars to brake.